§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will introduce measures to defer the use of calculators within the national curriculum until pupils have become fully adept in basic arithmetic processes. [37064]
§ Mr. ForthThe revised mathematics national curriculum, introduced in schools from September, has increased the emphasis on the acquisition of basic skills in the primary years, in both mental and written arithmetic. Once the basics have been mastered, calculators enable more ambitious exploration of numbers, and therefore offer an opportunity to increase standards of attainment. Under the moratorium announced by the Secretary of State, there are to be no substantial changes to the curriculum for the next five years.